Pistonhead Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century

[GPH]

As per the title they are running one of their polls guaranteed to get people arguing
Just hot hatches since 2000 so not including the oldies like Clio Williams and 205 GTi.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... 2&i=999999

Just nominations for now until final list is compiled then a vote but it's up to 12 pages already in just one day.
Clear leader is Renault Sport cars I'm pleased to say with Clio 182 Trophy , 172 Cup and Megane R26 getting lots of noms.
A few mentions for the Vee too. :salut:

 

[Chris V6 255]

Will be interesting to see what they shortlist.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GPH]

The 10 car shortlist is now out for final voting which closes on General Election day 12th December. I find the PH one much more interesting
5 of the 10 are Renault Sport showing how they really did dominate the last 20 years.
The V6 alongside Megane R26.R, Clio 172 Cup, 182 Trophy and 200 Cup made it.
Even though my head tells me a hot hatch should stick to the principal of cheap performance with 4 seater practicality, I let my heart vote and went for the Vee :race: . Otherwise it's Clio 182 Trophy for me all the way
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/top ... &t=1844199

 

[Lankan]

Surely the honour should go to the 182 Trophy...............

I do have some fond memories of owning number 262 for just under 2 years - passed on to [mention=3653,#000000]Crimson Dynamo[/mention] in Feb 2015.: Musings on ClioTrophy.co.uk

 

[Crimson Dynamo]

Certainly my (and Dulan's ex) Clio 182 Trophy number 262 was an excellent car and one of the few vehicles I've owned that I genuinely regret selling. The 182 Trophy would be a worthy winner.

 

[Chris V6 255]

Just need an R26.R for the ultimate RenaultSport trilogy [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kett]

Nice article featuring GPH...


https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-fea ... ophy/42001

 

[GPH]

Thanks [mention=343,#000000]Kett[/mention]
It was my favourite project in 13 years at RUK (because of my personal input into the creation of the car) - closely followed by the Vee and the Avantime.
Press reviews like this was the icing on the cake [smilie=yay.gif]

 

[Kett]

Thanks [mention=343,#000000]Kett[/mention]
It was my favourite project in 13 years at RUK (because of my personal input into the creation of the car) - closely followed by the Vee and the Avantime.
Press reviews like this was the icing on the cake [smilie=yay.gif]

It was an inspired concept.
Am I right in thinking that Renaultsport have dined out on the ‘Trophy’ nomenclature ever since? If so, you must be equally proud of the successive generations spawned from the original creation....

 

[GPH]

[mention=343,#000000]Kett[/mention] Indeed they have
Shame they didn't follow our example of keeping the back seat or at least offering it as an add in option as they might not be struggling to sell the 30 Megane trophy R that are still not sold.
They should have made the Clio RS16 concept with the Megane 275 engine and manual gearbox transplant. they could have sold 500 of those at a price under £35k

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-fre ... n-uk/41998

 

[Lankan]

Fantastic - just read the piece. :approve:

Didn't realise that Graeme was part of the team instrumental in the creation of the 182 Trophy. Must have been a very exciting project.

A job well done. :salut:

As with all recent incarnations of most sports cars/hot hatches, most are now too bloated, heavy and rather unwieldy, and overpriced, which is a real shame!

 

[Lankan]

.

 

[Lankan]

It is well known, and no surprise, that the 182 Trophy is a remarkable hot hatch.

However, do we think the new Toyota GR Yaris will take that mantle away from it? The GR Yaris certainly has the right stats to do so, at least on paper, and, so far, reviews of the prototype/pre-prod cars have been very positive. The sole purpose for its existence is to homologate Toyota's 2021 WRC car: Toyota Premieres GR Yaris

As such, the GR Yaris seems to have all the ingredients to make it a winner, even down to retaining the classic 3-door configuration of a hot hatch, including rear seats, something that Renault seems to have lost the plot on. It should be a real hoot to drive on B-roads too.

I wonder whether Toyota will make any money from them (as for the Clio V6), so hats off to them for taking the plunge in an era where electrification of all things that use fossil fuels! :salut:

 

[Kett]

It is well known, and no surprise, that the 182 Trophy is a remarkable hot hatch.

However, do we think the new Toyota GR Yaris will take the mantle away from it? The GR Yaris certainly has the right stats to do so, at least on paper, and so far reviews of the prototype/pre-prod cars have been very positive.

Tempting innit?

I’d have to chop my Golf R in though and my missus (who only understands badges) will think I’ve gone loopy-do.

 

[Lankan]

It is well known, and no surprise, that the 182 Trophy is a remarkable hot hatch.

However, do we think the new Toyota GR Yaris will take the mantle away from it? The GR Yaris certainly has the right stats to do so, at least on paper, and so far reviews of the prototype/pre-prod cars have been very positive.

Tempting innit?

I’d have to chop my Golf R in though and my missus (who only understands badges) will think I’ve gone loopy-do.

Indeed, it certainly is very tempting.

 

[GPH]

Loving the GR Yaris because of the engineering that has gone in to change it to 4wd and wide track with dedicated bodyshell.
Will make a great winter A and B road car in the UK.
Definitely on my radar.

 

[Lankan]

Loving the GR Yaris because of the engineering that has gone in to change it to 4wd and wide track with dedicated bodyshell.
Will make a great winter A and B road car in the UK.
Definitely on my radar.

Right on cue, here's the 2021 WRC car undergoing winter testing: Today our test driver Juho Hänninen is testing the #YarisWRC design for 2021..., LINK & LINK

"It incorporates what we’ve learned since our return to the #WRC in 2017, and adds the character of the GR Yaris that was launched at Tokyo Auto Salon"

 

[Chris V6 255]

I’m seriously considering one [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GPH]

That film makes me almost want to go and live in Scandinavia for the winter...……..if it wasn't so cold

 

[Lankan]

I think the following excerpt (translated using Google) says it all, and points to an interesting back story which may be the reason why the GR Yaris is here - having the right backing, from the top, certainly helps: LINK & LINK

"I want to get back a Toyota sports car.

I've always thought so.

86 is an important companion on both rallies and circuits.

Supra has been revived as a car worthy of its name.

But I still want a sports car that Toyota makes with my own hands.

That thought was always in my heart.

I also wanted to make a Toyota sports car that incorporates the technology and skills I gained in the WRC

This GR-FOUR is a sports car made by Toyota from scratch to win in the world.

Until now, until now, Toyota has created cars used by ordinary customers and modified them so that they can be used for racing in those cars.

This time is different. To win the race, for the car to go there GR YARIS is a car created based on a completely reverse idea of what a car should be for a regular customer.

Toyota Motor Corporation President

Akio Toyoda"

Toyota's motorsports line up makes up for an interesting mix: LINK (Also shows pictures of the GR Yaris Rally Concept, unveiled at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon, which of course may look very different when the finalised WRC car rolls out)

Must say that I haven't been quite as excited in the launch of a new car as much as this one, and that is notwithstanding the fact that this, after all, is a homologation special that actually follows the design principles that are sorely missing from most of today's useable cars, and those delivered from say mid-2000's onwards - the 182 Trophy may well have been the last such car, so 15 years is a long time to wait for one!

Another excerpt from the above web site:
"Lightness" is the greatest fighting power
The roof is made of forged carbon born from a new construction method that overturns the common sense of conventional carbon materials . The engine material and door panels (left, right, rear) are made of aluminum, with a multi-material body that focuses on lightness.

I would hate to think the kind of budget Toyota had set aside for the design and development of the GR Yaris, but the important thing is that they have done it, and it is here. Wonder whether we will ever see anything like it again. Toyota has to get it right, but hard to think that they wouldn't, especially with the pedigree of the expertise, knowledge, and experience that has gone into Toyota's resurgent rally programme.

Toyota won the WRC manufactures title in 2018 and the driver's title in 2019, so logic dictates that they wouldn't have tried to fix something that wasn't broken unless they were confident in repeating those successes. I guess only time will tell, but glad that they took the plunge since everything points to the GR Yaris being an absolute cracker............